Two bids rejected

[andy1966]

"I can't stand Wilshere! " at least he can share a half time fag with Yaya lol

[Swiss]

Well he can't be worse than Fernando!

[The Blue Blooded Maniac]

The Wilshere speculation has been in the papers for a while now and yes, he's not the most likeable of footballers but then again neither was Nasri, Tevez nor Bellamy.

Can relate with Bellamy though. Who doesn't like smacking a ginge?

[Stephen Paul]

This might go away with wilshere , not sure about Sterling though .
I just wish we could shaft those greedy fookers Liverpool and walk away

[bluebrendan]

I don't understand all the angst about signing Sterling, we need HG players for the CL squad, who is out there that's better than Sterling and likely to be available? As for the price well we all know there's a premium on HG players, like it or not City have to fork out the money in the circumstances and it will be like this until the Academy produces.

As far as non-HG signings go it has to be one in and one out because we're at our max. allowed quota for the CL and PL squads.

[zacc]

seems obsessional to me on City's part chasing after this inexperienced, not proven, egotistical person!! 

[bluebrendan]

seems obsessional to me on City's part chasing after this inexperienced, not proven, egotistical person!! 

One very good season and one reasonable season behind him, he's hardly unproven. Most top players have an ego, the trick is in managing them. Clearly he needs to cut out the "hippy crack" stuff but he's young enough to have that dealt with by firm management unlike say Wilshere who is three years older and will most likely never be anything other than a bellend.

[Lekos]

Quite an interesting article from Barney Ronay of the Guardian on this. 

Raheem Sterling can be reborn at Manchester City â€" with or without the gas and air

By contrast Sterling often still seems to be all brittle, high-tension endeavour, operating right at the peak of his speed and intensity, never quite ahead of the game. With this in mind a move to City may be just what he needs to open that footballing third eye a little further. Sterling’s best days at Liverpool came alongside Luis Suárez, whose special superpower, it turns out, is to flood the front end of any team with his own relentless creative intelligence. Just as Sterling bloomed next to Suárez, he would surely do so alongside Silva and Agüero, absorbing by osmosis, filling in the gaps in his range, adding the missing gears.

[nimrod]

I don't understand all the angst about signing Sterling, we need HG players for the CL squad, who is out there that's better than Sterling and likely to be available? As for the price well we all know there's a premium on HG players, like it or not City have to fork out the money in the circumstances and it will be like this until the Academy produces.

As far as non-HG signings go it has to be one in and one out because we're at our max. allowed quota for the CL and PL squads.

I just dont get it, I dont see whats worth 50 million quid about him, yes he can run with the ball like SWP could, but wheres the end product ?

[goat]

agree with wizard boy

we already had sterling, we just called him scott sinclair

[bluebrendan]

I don't understand all the angst about signing Sterling, we need HG players for the CL squad, who is out there that's better than Sterling and likely to be available? As for the price well we all know there's a premium on HG players, like it or not City have to fork out the money in the circumstances and it will be like this until the Academy produces.

As far as non-HG signings go it has to be one in and one out because we're at our max. allowed quota for the CL and PL squads.

I just dont get it, I dont see whats worth 50 million quid about him, yes he can run with the ball like SWP could, but wheres the end product ?

Last two PL seasons:

Sterling - 16 goals and 12 assists
Navas - 4 goals and 15 assists
Milner - 6 goals and 11 assists

I think we can agree he's a definite upgrade and can also improve further over the next few years playing alongside the likes of Silva and Aguero. What exactly is a realistic price, was it realistic when we paid £1m for Trevor Francis when we couldn't afford it? Now we can afford it and although I'm sure the owners would prefer to pay less there is a premium on young English players because there are so few that are any good. Watch how much Spurs will screw the rags for if they go after Kane.

agree with wizard boy

we already had sterling, we just called him scott sinclair

Come off it Steve, there's no comparison between him and Sinclair, Sterling will start plenty of games at City! 

[goat]

not if ive got anything to do with it!

[alexsam]

NO ! NO ! No !  According to Sky City will pay £50 million for him

WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY One thing is for sure , the dippers will end up with two much better players for their 50 million
I bet city end up selling him for about 22 million within two years

A shit day to be a blue (if True)

Your last line is a bit over the top.

We after signing an up and coming talent not ruining football.........

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Last two PL seasons:

Sterling - 16 goals and 12 assists
Navas - 4 goals and 15 assists
Milner - 6 goals and 11 assists

That alone should knock the "not proven" stuff on the head.

As Brendan says - if you want quality home grown talent (that's available) - where else are you going to find it?

It seems some of you would rather we waste money on 'nice' HG players, with no ego, and squeaky clean private lives - but hey, who cares if they can't trap a bag of wet cement?

There's only so much room to fit these mandatory HG players into the squad, so don't go thinking we can just buy any old HG hoofer and then hide these 'drinks carriers' in there. With injuries these players will inevitably get games - big games - European games - and they'll have to be able to cut it.

In these circumstances, and a limited pool of available HG talent, it's inevitable that we'll end up paying over the odds.

[Swiss]

I think it's the being held to ransom more than Sterling himself.

I hope if we get him, LFC are held to ransom too!

[Rowley Birkin QC]

I don't like being held to ransom any more than the rest of you, especially by the likes of Liverpool - but that's just the way it is. There are precious few alternative avenues we can explore where quality home grown players are concerned.

Taking on Sterling is a bit of a gamble (all signings are) and I do have one or two reservations as I previously stated, but on the football side of things I think he'll flourish in City's team with the likes of Silva and Aguero around him. The article Lekos quoted makes some good points.

[nimrod]

Last two PL seasons:

Sterling - 16 goals and 12 assists
Navas - 4 goals and 15 assists
Milner - 6 goals and 11 assists

aye Brendo but maybe/surely Navas & Milner together have only played roughly the same number of games that Sterling has, that means a lot more assists from them although he has got 6 more goals, how come Bayern or Barca arent sniffing round him ? Why are we the only club after him seemingly, and yet still being held to ransom (as if it was a bidding war)?
On top of this nobody likes him, not even his own fans

A lot saying he's got time to improve, same as we did with Ballo, SWP, Micah, Ireland etc (they didnt) I just think for the price he should be the finished article, Im sorry its just my opinion that City are being fucking daft IF they pay this, mind you thats becoming a regular occurrence.

Cant the owners see its the manager that needs changing, even if we spend 90 mill on Wilshire and the scouse lad I still dont think Pelle will come out on top of Morurinho OR get further in the champs league, as tactically the engineer has shown himself to be inept time & time again with baffling team changes at critical times, we are still typical City under him, we still lose to Burnley...........and if the club has put itself into a position of having to buy HG players then why let players like Micah go on a free ? surely any club has to have squad type players like Richard Wright who dont expect to play.

Sorry, off topic rant over, hope to fuck Im wrong about him, I normally agree with you on City stuff Brendo and Im trying in this instance too mate but I just cant see it 

[bluebrendan]

Yes Nimmers, I'm sure Sterling has played more seeing as Rodgers virtually ran him into the ground last season with Suarez gone, Sturridge injured and the other forwards not firing. The point is that he's produced those stats as a relative novice at 19 and 20 years old while Milner and Navas were both 28 and 29 in those two seasons and probably at their peak.

Real Madrid probably would be interested if they didn't have an embarrassment of riches with Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema, Isco, James etc. It was Benitez who was the manager when Liverpool signed him from QPR.

[nimrod]

Just read some info from an ITK

its all a smoke screen, Messi arrives next week

[Stephen Paul]

We might get henderson as well for 50 million